The Dillon tribune., 1887-07-22
Ghe 1illon Tribnne.
CROQUET AS 4 SCIENCE.
A GAME FOR EXPERTS AND NOT FOR
CHILDREN AND PARSONS ONLY.

CHILDREN AND PARSONS ONLY.
The Modern Cr.rIuct Ground Made ~
Dirt Rolled Hard and Icvcl-Hits Hard
to Mukc.Tcw Ladies' Attempt Scicn.
title rlay.
Even as set up on ordinary lawns, with
arches six inches wide, crOquet is game
that requires an amount Of l,eadwork
fully rs great as is needed to play Il good
game Of billiards. 4 man who is Il very
ordinary shot cun win from one who hits
with great accuracy If his hcadwork is dc .
cilc,lly superior. OF course, nln talking
now about the four hall game: the game
with one ball apiece is to the other what
cuchrc is 10 whist.
II these things are true Of the game as
ordinarily laid ont, they are multiplied III
force many times when the ground IS a
perfectly level sandcd dirt floor, when the
arches are only one-fO1lrth OF an inch
wider than the balls, and when both play
ers arc skillful enough to hit. an exposed
ball from end to end of the ground and to
hide their aivcrsary's ball behind
wicket with great accuracy.
The modern crOquet ground is made OF
ulrU TClIetl iS IItIIl u? utS>a W "Ass A'>~'S 49,
level as u billiard table it is surrounded
by q slightly raised border, 50 that balls
do not 90 out Of bounds. 10 prevent rUIls
ina the surface is santel slightly. The
wckets are set firmly in block Of wood
planted ten inches deep ~ the grouno,
Ind arc OF thick enough wire to resist
heavy blow. The balls arc Of hard rubber,
3 IA inches IN diameter. The wickcts are
u 4 q
mallcts may bc Of any pattern or size that
suits the fancy Of the player, but the most
approved style is one with u head ten
inches long, having hard rubber ends Sc
cured by steel band, and with handle
about fourteen inches long and rough
cnetl 50 as to secure the grip. The best
of them screw into the head and :rc per-
fectly round. The ground is laid out
with two stakes Of iron less than an inch
in diameter. two wickets ut each end and
two on each side, in II line with the second
arch from the stake and with double
middle wicket set c-OsswiSc. This middle
wicket consists of two arches like the rest,
joined over the top and abou. fifteen
inches apart. The ball must be sent
through both Of these ut Il single shot.
The only way to do this, with y fair pros
pcct Of success, is to take II rouuct from II
ball short distance from the arch and
get in the jaws of the first of the pair of
wickets and ut the next blow go through
them both.
HARD TO ACCOMPLISH.
TO get in position in any other way is
next to impossible. because IL the center
Of the ball is us much as u sixteenth Of an
inch to one side of line drawn directly
through the center OF both wickc;; you
cannot go through without II ca,ron, and
carrons, in croquet. are mighty uncertain
things for most people to try. Professor
Charles JGcoblS. Of New Brunswick, can
make the shot have described ut the
center wicket, and he introduced it with
great success in last years national tour
nnmcnt TT Norwich. 1t is nav called
after him--thc Jacobus shot. \ year or
two before that, while he wna living ut
Matawa!. he introduced another carrom,
which has since been called the "Matawan
twist His advcrsary's ball was in tho
'cagc," as the double center wicket is
called His own was on the other side Of
the corner wicket, almost in the jaws Of
it, and directly wired from the ball in the
cage and from tho other balls. Mr.. in
cobus struck the further wire Of the cor
ner wicket. carromc,l from it. going
through the arch and hit the ball resting
with such apparent security in tic cage.
It is not often. however, that gaines are
Won by such sensational shots. 1t is
steady. accurate play and good manage
lnent that toll in the long run.
had often wished for u standard ol
comparison. between persons who play /;
good ortlinar. game like myself and tht
real experts. made the comparison tht
other day, and ii came ont just as | cX
pcctc,l. In nine ont of ten games tho MAJ
who is called II splendid player" hy
his very ordinary competitors woult
make abor, two arches playing with Mr.
Jacobus. or DIR. Reed, or Mr. Hotsford, O
any other Of the "cracks,' and the chance
are that h" would not get hold Ut the ball
ut all durin. the game. With Il week
practice. and after becoming. used to tn
ground ami the narrow arches, Ec migl,
do better, and bother the expert seriously
but he would no, b, likely to win II singl
game the frs, year.
Oi'GiIr TO DE AELE.
Furthermore. no man has any busincs
to Try 10 play on such groun,. who can
not hit bail almost ir!allibly ut |: dozc
or fifteen feet and who cannot; after get
ting Il ball to play on. make the circuit {
the arches On an ordinary ground once ul
Of three or four times ut least. lie ougl
also To be able to make the different sort
cf roque,s-to send the driven ball y Ion
distance while his own only moves Il fc,
feet, to send the two along together. an
to send hi; own further than the drive
bali. 1t is very handy. too, On occasion
to bc able to make IL Jump shot"-,h;
is, to jump over Il bull you are ''Ic&U' q
and hit another one beyond and in lin
with il.
According to the rules in force in IL
National association, Il ball is in play +:
soon as il is placed at tho starting por
ready for the first tap 1t is usual anon
the experts hot tn attempt the first wick,